Teaching Guide and Poster
Grades 9–12
Six historical campaigns that shaped
the American election process.
White House
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A CNN Original Series
Here’s What’s
Inside:
Lesson plan,
teaching guide,
student activities,
and a classroom
poster
scholastic.com/raceforthewhitehouse
Teacher Instructions
“An informed citizenry is at the heart of a dynamic democracy.”
—Thomas Jefferson
Race for the White House is a CNN
documentary series narrated by Kevin
Spacey that chronicles six pivotal US
presidential elections. Each episode
captures the themes, issues, and
drama of the campaigns, as well as
their impacts on future elections and
the US political process in place today.
Though today’s presidential hopefuls
have far more and faster ways to reach
voters, they share a goal with their
political predecessors—to win the
White House.
This teaching guide and poster,
along with the historical docuseries,
connect the past to the present, giving
your students a new perspective on
the upcoming election. Use the lesson
plan and activities in this guide to
engage your students in these
crucial moments in American history
and inspire them to participate in
Election 2016 and beyond.
Objective:
Students will learn about a key
US presidential campaign and its
impact on future elections and the
US political process.
Materials:
Reporter’s Notepad
Pen
Classroom poster
Internet
Resources:
• scholastic.com/raceforthewhitehouse
• historycentral.com/elections
/history.html
• cnn.com/raceforthewhitehouse
1. Previewing Questions
and Activities
Write down the names of the main
candidates and the year in which
the featured election took place on
a chalkboard or whiteboard. Ask
students to share what they know
about the candidates and issues of
the day.
Ask: What forms of media were
available and popular during the
time period? What are some ways a
candidate could garner support?
Divide students into six groups, one
for each episode in the series. Have
each group conduct its research
on its assigned election by going
to scholastic.com/raceforthe
whitehouse and other sources listed
under Resources. Have each group
present a brief summary of the
campaign to the class.
b. Ask: Who were some of the
historians and experts featured in
the episode? What qualifies them to
provide commentary and/or analysis
on this campaign in particular? Does
he or she reveal any partiality? If so,
how and when? Have students work
in small groups to discuss and use
the Internet to research an expert’s
qualifications. Discuss key findings
as a class.
2. Research, Watch, and Analyze
Students have varying levels of
interest and understanding when it
comes to US history and politics. Get
students on the same page with the
Reporter’s Notepad. Photocopy and
distribute the notepad. Have students
write the answers on a separate sheet
of paper as they research and view
each election on scholastic.com
/raceforthewhitehouse or
on television. Discuss their answers
as a class.
d. Divide students into small groups
to represent each major candidate
featured in the episode of Race for the
White House as well as to represent
the campaign in general. Have
groups create political cartoons to
present their views as they consider
the questions: What role did the
media play in the campaign? Did they
influence or sway people’s views? If
so, how and why? How might that
message come across today?
3. Discussion and
Extension Activities
Select any of the discussion and
extension activities below that you
think would help foster your students’
learning about and engagement with
the US political process:
a. Ask: What were the pros and cons
of candidates taking a stance on a
controversial topic? What were the
pros and cons of being an unknown
candidate (the “underdog”)? Discuss
as a class.
c. Working as a class, identify primary
sources featured in the episode. Have
students research one of the identified
sources. Ask: What role, if any, did the
source play in the campaign—and in
the Race for the White House episode?
Why might the documentarians have
selected the source for the program?
How, if at all, has the source’s meaning
changed over time?
e. Using a main candidate’s
messaging, create a Facebook or
Twitter account to feature his or
her views.
f. Divide students into groups, one
for each of the following forms of
media: traveling tour, newspaper
ad, television ad, Facebook
campaign, and Twitter campaign.
Ask: What dramatic effects, if any,
were included to make the story
more compelling? For example:
music, lighting, volume, etc. How
might the episode be different without
those elements?
scholastic.com/raceforthewhitehouse
Photo: © Thinkstock.
Thomas Jefferson said it best: “An
informed citizenry is at the heart
of a dynamic democracy.” Though
Election 2016 is in full swing, students
might be surprised to learn that
many of today’s campaign tactics
and techniques trace their roots to
some of our nation’s most prestigious
presidential forebears.
Race for the White House Activities
Students will be asked to complete six activities,
one for each episode pertaining to each particular election.
The First Televised Presidential Debate
Photos: American family, © Getty Images; Abraham Lincoln, Courtesy of Library of Congress; 1988 presidential debate, © AP Images; Harry S. Truman, © AP Images.
Episode: “John F. Kennedy vs. Richard Nixon” (1960)
➤A
sk: What are some ways a candidate can be convincing or appealing
to voters? What are some ways to keep a person on the offensive?
➤ On September 26, 1960, about 70 million Americans tuned in to watch
Kennedy and Nixon in the first televised presidential debate. Millions
of others listened to the debate on the radio. Divide students into two
groups. Have one group view an excerpt of the debate online at
bit.ly/1PYdKVb. Have the other group listen to the exchange. Ask each
group which candidate won the debate and why. Did the two groups
come to different conclusions? Discuss as a class why some historians
say television dictated the outcome of the 1960 election.
A Speech About Slavery Leads to a Seat at the White House
Episode: “Abraham Lincoln vs. Stephen A. Douglas” (1860)
➤ Ask: What were some of the key issues in the United States in 1860? What role did strategy
play in the campaign? What tactics were employed by Lincoln’s campaign? Were they
effective? Explain.
➤ Some historians say Lincoln’s speech at Cooper Union in New York City paved the way to his
presidency. Have students listen to actor Sam Waterston deliver the speech at Cooper Union
(bit.ly/1Rm82jo, beginning at 1:27:51). Have students follow the speech while reading the
transcript, available at bit.ly/1REvysa. Ask students to listen for the speech’s three major points
and its conclusion. Ask: Would such a speech be as effective today? Why or why not?
Television Advertising Hits the Campaign Trail
Episode: “George H. W. Bush vs. Michael Dukakis” (1988)
➤ Ask: What role did television ads play in this race? How might the campaign
have been different without television advertisements—and without “negative
campaigning” in particular? Why did the “Willie Horton” ad resonate with
American voters at the time?
➤ Divide students into two groups, one for Michael Dukakis, the other for
George H. W. Bush. Have each group create a positive ad for its candidate—
and a negative ad for its opponent. Use evidence from Race for the White
House to create the ads.
Trains, False Claims, and the Polls
Episode: “Harry S. Truman vs. Thomas E. Dewey” (1948)
➤ Ask: What did public opinion polls indicate about the potential outcome
of the election? Did the polls contribute to Truman’s victory—if so, how?
Would a “Dewey Defeats Truman” headline be as shocking today? Why
or why not?
➤ Have students create a social media campaign for Truman using primary
sources as well as techniques employed along his Whistle Stop Tour.
(Continued on back page)
Race for the White House debuts Sunday, March 6, 2016, at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
The series will regularly air Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CNN. #RaceForWH
Race for the White House Activities
Race for the White
House Reporter’s Notebook
Students will be asked to complete six activities,
one for each episode pertaining to each particular election.
(Continued from previous page)
Jackson’s Victory Ushers in the Two-Party System
EpisodE: “Andrew Jackson vs. John Quincy Adams” (1828)
➤A
sk: How did the Jackson and Adams race lead to the formation of the modern
two-party system in place today? Did winning the popular vote—yet losing the
electoral vote—against John Quincy Adams in 1824 affect Andrew Jackson’s
campaign strategy against Adams in 1828?
➤H
ave students create a timeline of US political parties leading up to the
1828 election. Ask: What events led to the creation of the Democratic
Party? What role did Martin Van Buren play in the election?
A Third-Party Candidate Enters the First
Town Hall Debate
Episode: “William J. Clinton vs. George H. W. Bush” (1992)
➤A
sk: What role did third-party candidate Ross Perot play in the
campaign? How did he affect the race’s outcome? Why might
third-party candidates have an impact on some elections but not others?
➤ The format for the 1992 debates varied and included the first town
hall–style debate in presidential history. What are some of the pros and
cons of this format? How did this format work to Clinton’s advantage?
Reporter’s Notepad: Research, Watch, and Analyze
In which year does the election take place?
Who are the major candidates?
List some of the important issues in the campaign.
What is each candidate’s stance on the issues?
List each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses.
Do the candidates convey their messages to potential voters?
Do the media help or harm each candidate?
How does this campaign differ from prior presidential campaigns?
What impact will this campaign have on future elections?
scholastic.com/raceforthewhitehouse
Photos: Vote ballot, © Thinkstock; 1992 presidential debate, © AP Images.
Write the answers to the questions on a separate sheet of paper as you research each election and watch
each episode on television. The first episode airs on CNN Sunday, March 6, 2016, 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.